While plenty of social swans dabble in fashion design—Tinsley Mortimer, Lucy Sykes, Fabiola Beracasa, to name a few—only one name sits at the forefront: Tory Burch. Bolstered by an early appearance on Oprah, Burch has parlayed her well-heeled image into a serious business, one seemingly immune to extracurricular publicity. (Her divorce from Christopher Burch, who for now remains the company’s primary backer, and her subsequent romance with Lance Armstrong have made for considerable tabloid fodder.) But then, however fancy Burch’s own lifestyle may be, her grounded approach to design rooted in functional fashion and accessible prices resonates across America and beyond.
